


Chase

by streetlights



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-02
Updated: 2012-11-02
Packaged: 2017-11-17 14:17:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/552459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/streetlights/pseuds/streetlights
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Red, who is freakishly genius at just about everything except socializing, lost to Green Oak. Arceus be damned, that statement defies all laws of nature.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chase

**Author's Note:**

> Not necessarily in chronological order, but you should be able to figure that out.

Red is better.

He is better at raising Pokémon, honing their skills until they are better than what their potential dictates. He is better in making strategies and devious tactics, and sometimes Green wishes that he could read his mind just once. Red reigned in the Indigo Plateau undefeated, and the fact still holds as he sits at the peak of Mt. Silver, waiting for that one trainer who would dethrone him from his position. Sometimes, Green hates him for that. (Not really.)

Red is better.

He is invincible, and Green firmly believes that Red isn’t human at all, because it’s impossible to live with the howling blizzards of Mt. Silver for three full years with nothing but threadbare clothes and cotton blankets and just barely enough rations. Red is a survivor and an inspiration. (Someone that Green can never be).

Red is better.

He is like the plague, digging underneath Green’s skin and clawing at his throat like wildfire. He haunts him in his dreams with burning blood eyes and invisible ghost smiles. He snags Green from underneath and drags him down harshly to his lips until Green is convinced that he can’t live without tasting Red for himself. And then Green wakes up, realizing that Red doesn’t taste like winter and snow. Red hooks himself into Green’s soul, and he doesn’t even _try_.

Red is better.

So when Red reaches for the brim of his cap and tugs it down, Green’s eyes widen. “You win,” Red says, picking up his fainted Pikachu.

 

* * *

 

But maybe, that’s not where it all starts.

 

* * *

_“Green!” Nika yells when she bursts into Green’s office. She’s wide eyes and short breaths, and Green raises his eyebrow at her. To be honest, he’s relieved to be free from his paperwork for a few minutes, even if he has to spend it with his newest trainee._

_Not that he doesn’t like her, but she can be… too much, sometimes._

_“There’s this really strong trainer that totally wiped the floor with us!” Nika says, her arms flailing around. “He’s different from all the other challengers! He’s---!”_

_A hand rests on Nika’s shoulder and she flinches. Green glances at the newcomer and rolls his eyes._

_“Battle me,” Red says, and Green is surprised he said anything at all. He wakes Eevee up from her afternoon nap and walks outside, patting Nika’s head on the way out._

_“What, nobody’s challenging enough for you?” Green smirks as he summons Arcanine from his Pokeball. Red doesn't reply.  
_

_Red wins the match, and Green isn’t all that surprised._

* * *

 

“I… won.” Green repeats, feeling lightheaded and surreal. He can’t win, he never will. Not against his best friend.

Red nods, cradling Pikachu in his arms. “Congratulations,” he says. Green tries to read his eyes, but he finds that he can’t. He never was able to in the first place.

“I won,” he says with more assertion, trying to relish the sweet taste of how the words roll off his tongue. This is fact. This is reality. And Green can’t help but be numbed by that.

He stares at Red for longer than he should, and Red stares back. He doesn’t really know what’s going on in Red’s mind, or _his_ mind for that matter. He can’t comprehend how Red could lose. Red, who is freakishly genius at just about everything except socializing, lost to Green Oak. Arceus be damned, that statement defies all laws of nature.

Eevee settles herself on her master’s shoulder, her fluffy tail as a makeshift scarf. “Vui…” she whispers, looking expectantly at her master and his rival.

 

* * *

_When Red comes back the next week to challenge Green, Nika rushes to the door and blocks Red’s way.  
_

_“I won’t let you pass again,” she says determinedly. She meets Red’s eyes and cowers a little on the inside, but she pushes through. “I was holding back last week, but I see you’re not some ordinary trainer. Before you meet Leader Green, you have to go through me! I challenge you to a Poke battle!”_

_“Nika!” Bonita yells from the sidelines, but Nika ignores him. She shakes off Salma’s attempts to reason with her, and instead, stares down levelly at the challenger._

_Red stares back at her. When Nika wouldn’t let up, he concedes._

_“Alright.” Nika smirks. “This time, I won’t let you get me. Let’s go Sandslash!”_

_One minute and thirty four seconds later, the battle is over. Red walks past her without a word, and Nika nearly flies off and strangles him when Salma catches her by the collar and twirls her around, holding her by the arms._

_“That guy.” Nika seethes. She glares a hole through Green’s office doors. “He’s a monster. How can such a trainer exist? He’s impossible to beat.”_

_“Nika.” Salma sighs. “I know you’ve only been here for two months, but you can’t be_ this _ignorant.”_

_“What are you talking about?!” Nika yanks her arm off and glares at Salma. “What do you mean ‘ignorant’? I’m not!”_ If anyone is ignorant here, it’s that challenger _, she thinks._

_“You really don’t know him?” Bonita asks. When Nika shakes her head, Bonita laughs. Nika glares at him, and patiently counts to ten._

_“What?” she asks impatiently. “Is he Green’s mentor or something?”_

_“He’s Green’s best friend,” Salma says. “Red. The Kanto Champion.”_

_Nika’s mouth drops. “…_ Oh. _”_

* * *

 

“No. You are _not_ staying here.”

But Red already positioned himself on Green’s sofa, head nestled contently against the pillows.

“Aren’t you staying in Pallet Town or something?” Green irritably says, but he doesn’t really mind. He smiles when he retreats to the kitchen to fix them something to eat. He doesn’t know how long Red will stay. Maybe just overnight, when his Pokemon are healed at the PokeCenter, but Green doubts that.

He plops down on the sofa and puts the bowl of popcorn on Red’s lap. “Just one night, okay?”

Red nibbles on a popcorn and doesn’t say anything, his eyes already fixed on the tv."

 

* * *

_Red comes back the next week, and the next, and two weeks after that. Green doesn’t really know why Red insists, but at least it livens up the gym a little. Most of his challengers aren’t very… challenging.  
_

_He still loses every time, but Green likes to think it teaches him something about humility. And everyone says he could use some of it every now and then. Not that Green particularly_ cares _about his arrogance, but he knows his limits. He knows that it would take a miracle for him – or for anyone – to beat Red._

_It’s just impossible._

_Sometimes, he doesn’t even try. He doesn’t tell Red this, but he thinks he knows. Red knows everything._

 

* * *

 

Green cards his hand through Red’s hair before slathering shampoo all over it.

“Mhm,” Red hums. He relaxes against Green’s skin.

“Red,” Green asks. “Why did you go to Mt. Silver?”

There is a long pause before Red speaks up. Green rinses his best friend’s hair with warm water, and they sit in the bathtub for three full minutes. It's the longest three minutes Green has ever experienced.

Red stretches his arms out, and Green feels incredibly cramped in the small bathtub. The water isn’t warm anymore.

Red opens his eyes and looks up at Green. “You were catching up,” he finally answers.

 

* * *

_Red suddenly disappears to Mt. Silver without any warning, and Green feels alarmed. He packs his bags and leaves the gym the next morning._

_“The hell.” He glares. Eevee wraps herself around Green’s neck. “Why Mt. Silver? Have you gone mad?”_

_Red ignores him and continues to battle in the hail. Green, as much as he cared for his best friend’s life, chose to stay in the safety of the cave. He decides to check Red’s rations, and maybe see if he can make some sort of makeshift bed for him._

_“Red! Are you even listening?! And where are your blankets? Your jacket?” he yells. And then, “Did you even bother to bring_ anything _?”_

_When the hail has calmed down, Green whips his head around. Red enters the cave and challenges Green to a battle._

_“Are you fucking crazy? Your Pikachu is exhausted!” Green exclaims, but he can’t really say no to Red. With a defeated sigh, he agrees._

_(He still loses, but he could hardly care anymore.)_

* * *

 

“It must have been luck,” Green says. He turns to his side to face Red. In the darkness of his bedroom, he can barely see the details that makes Red’s eyes _pierce_ through him. All he sees is dark red and thin lips pressed to a line.

Red shakes his head.

“There’s no way I…” He sighs. Maybe Red just ran out of Hyper Potions?

Red curls up into a ball and closes his eyes. He holds Green’s hand from under the covers and squeezes it just barely so that Green can feel some reassurance.

He doesn’t.

Green can’t sleep that night because Red’s breath is mingling with his own, matching with his own rhythm. Red smells like winter and snow, just as Green dreamed he would taste. Green’s eyes flicker down to Red’s lips. And maybe Red is a little too close for comfort, but Green tries not to mind.

 

* * *

_“I used to think I was better than you,” Green confesses on one of his many visits. Red doesn’t reply, but Green doesn’t expect one to come anyway. Green does enough talking for both of them. “I mean, I became the Champion before you. I was always one step ahead of you.”_

_Red leans his head on Green’s shoulder._

_“But I guess I was being hasty,” Green continues. “I mean, my title didn’t even last fifteen minutes.”_

_“You were just careless,” Red says._

_Green laughs. “I doubt that.”_

 

* * *

 

“So, why _did_ you come back?” Green asks. They stand there in front of the gym, but neither one of them wants to go inside just yet.

Red shrugs. “I’m letting you catch up.”

And he pulls Green to a kiss.


End file.
